Combined locking and hoisting apparatus for extension-ladders



No. 6l3,848. Patented Nov. 8, I898.

F. S. SEAGRAVE. CUMBINED LOCKING AND HDISTING APPARATUS FOR EXTENSION LADDERS.

(Application filed Aug. 29, 1898.)

(No Model.)

M E S S F. N n w ATTORNEY THE- uckms versus no. l no'foumu, WASHWGTGN, 9. c.

' thereon.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERIO S. SEAGRAVE, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

I COMBINED LOCKING AND HOlSTING APPARATUS FOR EXTENSlON-LADDERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 613,848, dated November 8, 1898.

Application filed A g t 29, 1898. Serial No. 689,766. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDERIC S. SEAGRAVE, a citizen of the United States, residing at O0- lumbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in a Combined Locking and Hoisting Apparatus for Extension-Ladders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the improvement of combined hoisting and locking mechanism for extension-ladders; and the objects of my invention are to provide a sectional extensionladder with improved means for the rapid, easy, and convenient movement of the upper section of an extension-ladder in either direction, to combine with said hoisting apparatus improved means for firmly and positively locking the two ladder-sections together at any desired point of extension at the will of the operator, and to produce other improvements in details of construction and arrangement of parts, which will be more fully pointed out hereinafter. These objects I accomplish in the manner illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a rear elevation of portions of an extension-ladder having my improvement of the ladder parts shown in Fig. 1, the ladder-sections being shown locked.. Fig. 3 is a similar sectional View showing the position of the locking device when the same is out of engagement with the lower ladder and the upper ladder is in position for movement in either direction. Fig. 4 is a detail view in elevation of a sheave or pulley-hanger which I employ in the manner hereinafter described, and Fig. 5 is a detail View in perspective of the locking device.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

1 and 2 represent, respectively, the lower and upper ladder-sections, the upper laddersection being adapted in the usual manner to be moved upward or downward in contact with the outer or lower section. Between the lower portions of the legs or side bars of the upper ladder-section 2 I journal a transverse shaft or rod 3, the latter having formed on Fig. 2 is a central vertical section its rear side, at the center of its length, a

sheave or pulley yoke or keeper 4, the latter being inclined rearwardly from said shaft 3 and having its lower end portion terminating in a hook 4: beneath said shaft. The pulley yoke or keeper is also provided, as indicated more clearly in Fig. 1 of the drawings, with laterally-extendin g guard-arms v5, which have their outer end portions forwardly bent, as shown.

6 represents an arm or rod which extends from the center of the length of the shaft 3 rearwardly through the center of the yoke 4, said arm 6 terminating in an eye 7 and extending at right angles with the direction of the length of the yoke, through which it passes. That portion of the arm 6 which is between the rod 3 and outer portion of the yoke is employed as a journal, on which is mounted a pulley-wheel 8.

On the inner side of and adjacent to each of the side bars or legs of the ladder-section 2 I support from the shaft or rod 3 a substantially A-shaped lock or catch body 9, the diverging legs of said body being connected in their lower portion by a cross-bar 10, from which point said legs extend downward substantially in parallel alinement.

Connecting the upper end portions of the side bars or legs of the outer or lower laddersection is a cross-bar 11, from which depends a pulley hanger or block 12. For the reasons hereinafter set forth this pulley-hanger, as indicated more clearly in Fig. 4 of the drawings, is of substantially H shape, the upper yoke-shaped portion thereof being adapted to embrace and be secured to the cross-bar 11, while the lower similarly-shaped portion has journaled therein a pulley 13. In order that this pulley may thus be suspended at an angle with the direction of the length of the cross-bar, for purposes hereinafter set forth, the upper and lower portions of the hanger are twisted or turned with relation to each other, so that the upper and lower bifurcations extend or are formed on lines which diverge one from the other.

In order to avoid confusion in illustrating my device, I have shown for the most part in the drawings dotted lines instead of ropes or cords, hereinafter described.

14 represents a snap-hook which is adapted, as shown, to be snapped into engagement with the eye 7 at the extremity of the arm 6. With this snap-hook is connected one end of an operating-rope 15, which, extending downward in rearof the ladder, passes loosely beneath the lower rung l of the lower laddersection, from which point, as indicated more clearly in dotted lines in Fig. 2 of the drawings, said rope is carried upward in front of the rungs of the lower ladder, thence over the pulley 13, from which point, as indicated in dotted lines at 15, said rope extends downward and about the lower side of the pulley S, thence upward between the rungs of the upper and lower ladder-sections, as indicated at 15, to the cross-bar 11, with which said rope is connected, as indicated at 16.

Owing to the twist or inclination of the lower portion of the hanger 12 it will be observed that the pulley 13 will be supported in such position as to better receive the rope 15 from the forward sides of the lower-section rungs and that the portion 15 of said rope may run off said pulley 13 and down between the ladder-sections to the pulley 8.

In order to illustrate the method of utilizing my improved hoisting and locking apparatus, we will assume that the ladder-sections 1 and 2 are in the positions indicated in Figs. 1 and 2-that is, that they are engaged or coupled together by having two oppositely-located rungs of said sections embraced by the lower leg portions of the locks 9. In this position it is obvious that the lower ladder-section is made to support the upper ladder-section at a height depending upon the location of the rung of said lower ladder-section which is engaged by said locks. In order to release the engagement of the upper and lower laddersections thus produced and admit of the upper section being drawn upward or allowed to descend, the rope 15 may at a point in front of the lower portion of the lower laddersection be pulled downward, which, as will readily be seen, will serve to lift the upper ladder-section until the locks by reason of the upward pull on the rope portion 15 clear the rung of the lower section and swing outward or rearward to the position indicated in Fig. 3. In this position it is obvious that a continued upward pull of the outer or forward portion of the rope must resultin a free upward movement of the upper ladder-section. Then the ladder has reached a desirable height, it is obvious that the locks may be again swung inward to engage with an adjacent rung of the outer or lower ladder-section by a downward pull on the inner portion of the rope, which in turn forces the lock to swing outward until its outer arms are in the path of the rungs of the lower ladder-section. It is obvious that during the movement of the upper ladder-section the pulley 8 and its yoke l will be swung upward until they are in alinement with the direction of the length of said ladder-section.

In case it should become desirable to separate the ladder-sections and utilize the same singly it is obvious that this may readily be accomplished by disengaging the snap-hook ll from the ring 7 and disengaging the rope portion 15" from the lower side of the pulley 8 and yoke-hook 4*. The snap-hook may then be engaged with the loop of the rope which is taken from the pulley 8. In this manner it will be seen that the rope will be connected only with the lower ladder-section and that said sections may be used independently.

It will be observed that not only is the construction of the combined hoist and lock herein described simple, but that the same may be quickly and positively operated without the employment of springs or other like elements having a tendency toward uncertainty of operation.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a locking and hoisting apparatus for extension-ladders, the combination with the upper and lower ladder-sections, of a swinging lock-frame journaled between the side bars of one of said sections, said lock having its lower portion normally suspended out of the path of the rungs of the lower section, a pulley journaled from said lower section and a rope over said pulley, said rope having a connection with said lock whereby a downward pull on the lower portion of said rope results in a raising of one of said ladder-see tions and a disengagement of the lock-arms with the rungs of the remaining section, sub stantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. Ina combined hoisting and locking apparatus for extension-ladders, the combina- .tion with the ladder-sections 1 and 2, said section 2 having a sliding contact with said section 1 and a pulley journaled from the upper portion of said section 1, ofa shaft journaled in said upper section, lock-arms carried on said shaft and adapted to engage two oppositely-located rungs of said sections, a pulley journaled on the rear side of said shaft and a rope connecting with the hanger of said pulley 8 at one end, said rope passing beneath the lower ladder-section, over the pulley 13 under the pulley 8 and having its upper end portion secured to the upper end of the lower ladder-section, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a combined hoisting and locking ap paratus for extension-ladders, the combination with the ladder-sections 1 and 2, of a cross-piece in the upper portion of said section 1, a pulley-hanger depending therefrom, said pulley-hanger having its lower pulleycarrying portion turned at an angle with its upper attaching portion, a swinging lock j ournaled between the sides of said section 2, a

pulley 8 j ournaled on said lock-frame and a 11, substantially as and for the purpose specirope connected at one end with the hanger of fied. said pulley 8, said rope extending downward and thence upward 0n the outer sides of the FREDERIO .SEAGRAVE' rungs of the lower ladder and passing over In presence of the pulley of the hanger 12 and thence be- 0. C. SHEPHERD, neath the pulley 8 and up to said cross-bar EDWARD M. TAYLOR. 

